Public Services Challenges Research Articles

Navigating the Efficacy Gap: An Exploration of Training Programs and Service Delivery Challenges in Nigeria’s Public Service

Amidst persistent service delivery challenges in Nigeria's Public Service, reformative measures in the latter part of the 20th century, notably the adoption of training programs, were initiated to enhance effectiveness and efficiency. However, the anticipated improvements in service delivery remained elusive. This study delved into the nexus between Human Capital Development (HCD) interventions and their tangible impacts on service delivery, spanning the period from 2003 to 2014 within Nigeria’s Public Service. This qualitative study sought to explore the complex dynamics between Training programmes and their impact on service delivery in the Nigerian Public Service from 2003 to 2014. Drawing on interviews and document analysis, the study engaged with staff from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) who had undergone training between 2003 and 2014. Findings suggested that while ASCON's training programmes contributed positively to Human Capital Development, they had not yielded the desired level of impact on service delivery. Multiple factors, such as inadequate infrastructure and role duplicity among Management Development Institutes (MDIs) appeared to limit the effectiveness of these programmes. Considering these findings, the study recommends that the Nigerian government should institute policies to make training with ASCON mandatory. Furthermore, a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment should precede any training initiatives to tailor the curriculum more closely to real-world needs. Finally, a substantial upgrade of ASCON's existing infrastructure is imperative for the betterment of future training outcomes. Keywords: Service delivery, Public Service, ASCON, HCD, Training

Evaluation of the move to remote delivery of drug and alcohol services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study protocol.

Background:Substance misuse is a significant global health concern. In the UK, the prevalence of substance misuse has increased over the past decade and the number of alcohol and drug related deaths are increasing. Individuals with substance dependency issues are entitled to access treatment services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for public services, including drug and alcohol treatment, and resulted in significant service reconfiguration and a shift from in-person to remote delivery. This study aims to evaluate the delivery of drug and alcohol services in a large metropolitan area in Northern England during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to understand the impact of service reconfiguration for services, staff and service users, and to use this understanding to inform the future optimised design of services.Design and methods:The study has five workstreams within a mixed methods framework: (1) Systematic review of literature; (2) Qualitative process evaluation with service providers (digital timelines, focus groups and interviews); (3) Qualitative process evaluation with service users (interviews, focus groups, text based conversations and case studies); (4) Quantitative outcomes and health economic analysis; and (5) Data synthesis and dissemination.Expected Impact of the study for Public Health:The breadth of the study, its novel nature, and the importance of substance misuse as a public health issue, mean that this study will provide valuable findings for those who commission, deliver and use drug and alcohol treatment services nationally and internationally. There will also be important learning for the effective remote delivery of services in sectors beyond drug and alcohol treatment.

Contact Tracing during COVID-19 - A Systemic Public Health Failure

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) created many challenges for public health agencies and healthcare services. As a virus that created immense fear of the unknown, researchers and scientists scrambled to come up with solutions to prevent the spread and rate of infection. As previously used in combating infectious diseases, contact tracing was introduced to help decrease the rapidly increasing cases. Although contact tracing is a relatively old idea, it is still a critical part of the non-pharmaceutical interventions needed to fight such an infectious virus. However, it had to be tailored to fit this new rapidly increasing virus. This paper examines the disparities, insufficient infrastructure, and lack of proper testing and reporting during the pandemic, all of which are systemic failures of public health. These systemic failures have an impact on the effectiveness of contact tracing. All barriers will be presented with potential solutions for not only this pandemic, but for any future situations as well.

Cardiovascular tissue banking activity during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: evolution of national protocols and Lombardy experience.

The worldwide pandemic outbreak due to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created unprecedented challenges for public health services. Lombardy, region of the Northern Italy, has been the first area in the Western world whose organs and tissues procurement programs have had to face the virus pandemic emergency. We retrospectively collected and analyzed data about cardiovascular tissues (CT) in 2019 and in 2020. We aimed to describe the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 regulation laws for tissue donor’s selection and harvesting from February 2020 until January 2021. As expected the number of CT donors in 2020 was significantly lower than those of 2019 (66 vs. 99, p value 0.02). The total number of CT collected from donors have been 254 in 2019 and 206 in 2020 (p 0.28). Femoral arteries were the most required vascular tissues (55.5% in 2019 and 40% in 2020). Fifty-five and forty-eight pulmonary valves were implanted in 2019 and 2020, respectively. No differences were found for the types of CT requests between the 2 years. The median age of receivers of vascular tissues was 69.6 ± 14.6 years in the 2019 and 63.3 ± 14.9 years in 2020 (p < 0.01). The median age of receivers of pulmonary and aortic valves did not differ between the 2 years (9.32 ± 11.49 vs. 8.36 ± 10.66 and 48.67 ± 27.19 vs. 37.14 ± 31.97 respectively). Despite the dramatically reduction of donors, the number of CT collected has not decreased significantly and so far the CT distribution rate is comparable to those of 2019.

Internal Factors Influencing Service Delivery in the County Government of Kitui, Kenya

Kenya adopted devolved administration in 2013 with an aim of improving efficiency in delivery of government services to citizens. Since the introduction of devolution, County governments have witnessed management and administration challenges in public service due to increased demand and expectations from the citizens. For effective service delivery, County governments develop a service delivery framework which is guided by the County Administration through public participation. The objective of the study was to determine the extent to which leadership style and resource allocation influenced service delivery in the County Government of Kitui. The study adopted a descriptive research design with a population of 303 respondents. Stratified random and simple random sampling methods were used to establish the study sample of 91 respondents. The study was based on primary data which was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 22 and presented in the form of tables. The study established that leadership style and resource allocation significantly affected the quality-of-service delivery. The study concluded that the County government has adopted a working leadership style and employed relevant strategy in allocating the available resources for effective service delivery. The study recommends that: The County management should adopt modern leadership styles and implement efficient Information Communication Technologies to enhance service delivery. The study further recommends for better planning procedures to maximize utilization of the available resources.

Public Services Challenges during Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

The pandemic that is still hurting the world, including Indonesia, has pushed the government to innovate in all its policies and immediately make policies and improve public services for the benefit of the wider community. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands of industry 4.0 which require the government to accelerate in making policies by utilizing technology in bringing progress to data and information systems, including improving services in the public sector. This period gave impetus to the government to boost innovation to improve various public services in various sectors, especially the health sector. This study uses quantitative methods with descriptive analysis methods. This study shows that the government has made many innovations in the management of resources and public sector services, but still encounters obstacles when collaborating with the private sector

Understanding the moral and ethical leadership challenges in South African public service : the case of the Eastern Cape, Department of Education

Creating ethical leadership in South Africa is everyone's responsibility for a healthy democracy. However, the leaders who occupy positions in the public and private sectors and many other institutions can influence the system, as a result of their greater authority and power, as they have access to resources. Occupying these prominent positions implies that leaders are to be role models for others in society. In this capacity, they ought to teach others what is suitable and desirable through their actions. Nevertheless, with the contending views of the abysmal performance of government departments and agencies in the Eastern Cape, the various maladies of its government have resulted in a series of industrial actions and protests. Based on the notion that ethical leadership is misplaced to cronyism and nepotism, maladministration, mismanagement, corruption and the lack of accountability, this study assesses the state and philosophy of moral and ethical leadership in the Eastern Cape Department of Education. The trait and situational theories underpinned the study, emphasising that either an open or closed system can be effective if ethically grounded. The researchers used original interviews (empirical), questionnaires and secondary data to inform the study. The study concludes that moral and ethical leadership is the panacea to good and open government, transparency, effective and prudent government practice. The moral and ethical challenges in the department are both at an organisational and individual level. Evidence from the data collected shows a deliberate disregard of policies, rules and regulations which are supposed to govern the conduct of officials within the department.

Talking to children about illness and death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic

Talking to children about illness and death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic

Maxillofacial and dental-related injuries from a Brazilian forensic science institute: Victims and perpetrators characteristics and associated risk factors.

BackgroundTrauma due to external causes represents one of the greatest challenges for public health services in different regions around the world. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of facial trauma, associated risk factors, and classification of body injuries in individuals who underwent forensic examination in a Brazilian center. Material and MethodsData were collected at the Ceará State Forensic Medicine unit in a 12-year period. Sociodemographic data related to the etiological agent and lesions resulting from the bodily injury were recorded. ResultsAmong 1,031 physical injury exams, physical aggression (p<0.001), male victims aged between 21 and 30 years (p<0.001), salaried workers (p<0.001), and soft tissue and dentoalveolar injuries were significant findings. Regarding aggression, domestic violence was prevalent (p<0.001), perpetrated by the victim’s partner (p<0.001), using a blunt instrument during the aggression (p<0.001), and directly associated with soft tissue injury (p<0.001). In traffic accidents, the most common type was motorcycle accident (p<0.001), on weekdays (p=0.036), at nighttime (p=0.134), showing a significant association with bone fractures (p=0.001). Conclusions Oral and maxillofacial injuries obtained from a Brazilian forensic science center were significantly associated with sociodemographic and etiological factors. Key words:Forensic dentistry, facial trauma, violence, public health.

Integration of Multiple Regression Model in an Epidemiological Decision Support System

Prevention and control of influenza epidemics are major challenges for public health care services. Early identification of flu outbreak is an important step towards implementing effective disease interventions for reducing mortality and morbidity in human populations. Indeed, health officials need a real geo-making tool for monitoring and prediction. The aim of the current study is to discuss a novel spatiotemporal tool for monitoring and predicting the phenomenon of the seasonal influenza epidemic spread in the human population using multiple regression analysis. The suggested tool is mainly based on three sub-systems. It allows generating simulation data by the use of a simulation system, integrating data sources in a data warehouse (DW) system and performing a specific online analysis Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing (SOLAP). Our proposal enables also to illustrate evolution of disease through visualizations in time and space. It can examine social network effects to better understand the topological structure of social contact and the impact of its properties. A regression analysis is performed on the influenza epidemic to examine the main factors influencing flu incidence number and therefore to predict and track influenza epidemic.

Suicide and suicide risk.

Although recent years have seen large decreases in the overall global rate of suicide fatalities, this trend is not reflected everywhere. Suicide and suicidal behaviour continue to present key challenges for public policy and health services, with increasing suicide deaths in some countries such as the USA. The development of suicide risk is complex, involving contributions from biological (including genetics), psychological (such as certain personality traits), clinical (such as comorbid psychiatric illness), social and environmental factors. Theinvolvement of multiple risk factors in conveying risk of suicide means that determining an individual's risk of suicide is challenging. Improving risk assessment, for example, by using computer testing and genetic screening, is an area of ongoing research. Prevention is key to reduce the number of suicide deaths and prevention efforts include universal, selective and indicated interventions, although these interventions are often delivered in combination. Theseinterventions, combined with psychological (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, caring contacts and safety planning) and pharmacological treatments (for example, clozapine and ketamine) along with coordinated social and public health initiatives, should continue to improve the management of individuals who are suicidal and decrease suicide-associated morbidity.

CLINICAL PROFILE OF MAXILLO FACIAL FRACTURES IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN UTTAR PRADESH

Introduction- Trauma from external causes poses one of the greatest challenges for public health services in different parts of the world. Maxillofacial fractures are the most common outcome of trauma. Several factors which are contributing to these can be managed well after careful examination of the clinical profile of the patients. Aim - This study was done to find the clinical profile of maxilla facial fractures in a tertiary care hospital in Uttar Pradesh. Materials and methods -A retrospective study was conducted in Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, SRMS IMS from May 2016 - October 2018. Medical records of 53 patients in and around west Uttar Pradesh with maxillofacial injuries admitted in our hospital were studied. Results –Males in age group in 20-40 yr were mostly involved in RTA which was most common cause of fmaxillofacial injuries. Fracture mandible was the most commonly fractured bone. Conclusion - There has to be strict regulations installed by the government to ensure compliance of rules regarding use of seat belts while driving and use of helmet while riding two-wheeler. Better compliance of traffic rules is an important factor in reducing the incidents of this trauma. KEYWORDS -Maxillofacial trauma, RTA , Fracture mandible

The Patent Office in the Library

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and solutions that arise specifically in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Patti Gibbons and Deborah Schander at pgibbons@uchicago.edu and deborah.e.schander@vanderbilt.edu.

Online Appointment Scheduler: The Perfect Fit for the On-Demand Generation

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Patti Gibbons and Deborah Schander.This article is written by Meryl Brodsky. Meryl is the Business Librarian at Eastern Michigan University. She holds a MLS from Southern Connecticut State University and an MBA from Cornell University. This article explores a case study at Eastern Michigan University and how the Business Librarian transitioned from traditional office hours to an appointment-based system to better meet the reference needs of current students. The article examines the LibCal online scheduling program, how it was rolled out at EMU, its effectiveness and reception.

Bureaucratic Reform to the improvement of public services Challenges for Indonesia

Many factors can affect the performance of the government bureaucracy, including the absence of meritocracy (using the best talent) caused, for example, the recruitment process which does not target all segments of society, elections and the progress of civil servants are not based on the capacity, knowledge and skills, in fair competition and open. This study addressed the issue of government bureaucracy in Indonesia, which is multidimensional and protracted as a vicious circle, and discusses how improved public service for good governance can create and utilize to get out of the vicious circle and deterioration in innovative ways. This study used a qualitative approach. Based on data collection techniques, data collection techniques used in this research is the study of the literature on the theory of Reinventing Government, which is considered as the main theory. Results from this study, to solve complex problems required comprehensive strategy consisting of three areas, namely, political leadership, harmonization of public policy (including rules and regulation), and free from corruption

Accessible Instruction

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu.This column is written by J. J. Pionke. J. J. Pionke is Applied Health Science Librarian and Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his MSI from the University of Michigan. His column focuses on a brief introduction to Universal Design for Learning and incorporates practical tips to make instruction sessions more accessible for all learners regardless of (dis)ability.

Traveling Forward: Revisiting Online Instruction for Global Sites

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu.

Risk Taking as a New Academic Librarian Through Media Outreach: “The Walton Reader’s Spotlight Web Series”

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subjectmatter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu. This column is written by Raymond Pun and Hiromi Kubo. Raymond Pun is the first year student success librarian at Fresno State. He received his M.L.S from City University of New York, Queens College and M.A. in East Asian Studies from St. John’s University. Hiromi Kubo is the business and economics librarian at Fresno State. She received her M.L.S. from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Beyond Career Collection Development: Academic Libraries Collaborating with Career Center for Student Success

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu.This column is written by Raymond Pun and Hiromi Kubo. Raymond Pun is the first year student success librarian at Fresno State. He received his M.L.S from City University of New York, Queens College and M.A. in East Asian Studies from St. John’s UniversityHiromi Kubo is the business and economics librarian at Fresno State. She received her M.L.S. from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Landing the Job: How Special Libraries Can Support Career Research Introduction

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and opportunities that arise in special libraries. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu.This column is written by Heather Howard. Heather Howard is Assistant Professor, Business Information Specialist at Purdue University Libraries. She holds a MLS from the Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis.